The Things We've Lost
by AwesomePossumx
Summary: Rose Tyler had never had many friends. She had always expected a normal life in her normal, boring town. However, what she didn't expect was to end up captured in the Doctor's dungeon. Can Rose fall in love with the man who used to have two hearts, even though he doesn't know how to love? Will there be a happily ever after for her? Ten/Rose Christmas Special Beauty And The Beast AU
1. A Partridge In A Pear Tree

**A/N:** Hi guys! Since Christmas is ELEVEN DAYS AWAY... Sorry, got overexcited. Since Christmas is eleven days away, I've made this fic! It will be split into twelve parts with the finale on, well, Christmas. It's a Beauty and The Beast AU. Hope you enjoy the story and have a very, very merry Christmas! :) I've been so excited to post this and it took me a while to write and edit it, so if you'd review that'd mean so much to me!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Beauty and the Beast or Doctor Who. However, I do own a computer and an imagination.

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**The Rose And The Doctor**

_Once upon a time, in a faraway planet called Gallifrey, a young Time Lord lived in his shining home. Although he had everything his heart desired, the Lord was spoiled, selfish, and unkind. But then, one winter's night, an old beggar woman came to the home and offered him a single rose in return for shelter from the bitter cold of the planet. Repulsed by her haggard appearance, the Lord sneered at the gift and turned the old woman away, but she warned him not to be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found within. And when he dismissed her again, the old woman's ugliness melted away to reveal a beautiful Time Lady. The Lord tried to apologize, but it was too late, for she and seen that there was no love in his heart. As punishment, she transformed him into an ordinary human, and placed a powerful spell on him and those who lived in his home so that they could never return to Gallifrey again and would be banished to the planet of Earth._

_Ashamed of his human form, the Doctor concealed himself inside a castle on earth, with a sonic screwdriver as his only window to the outside world. The rose she had offered was truly an enchanted rose, which would bloom until his twenty-first year on Earth. If he could learn to love another, and earn her love in return by the time the last petal fell, then the spell would be broken and he would be able to return to Gallifrey. If not, he would be doomed to remain a human for all time. As the years passed, he fell into despair, and lost all hope..._

**_For who could ever learn to love the Doctor?_**

If there was one thing Rose was sick of in the small, boring, rural town of Powell, it was the daily repetitions.

Wake up, get breakfast, walk around, have lunch, do some schoolwork, have dinner, go to bed. If she was lucky, there would be a deviation from her normal pattern and she would get to go run an errand for her eccentric mother or go out and visit her friend Adam Mitchell's farm that wasn't too far away. However, this day, as it seemed, would be like any other.

Rose groaned and stretched her arms, yawning loudly and trying desperately to get her eyes open. She stood up and stretched out her legs next, feeling slightly disgusted when they each cracked twice. God, she had slept in a weird position last night. Walking across the room, she searched through a large pile of dirty clothes, looking for her favorite book.

She had never been particularly proud of her room, but at least it was cozy. It contained a large, brown bed with matching pillows and two black nightstands. The carpet was beige, and the walls were a light pink color. Piles and piles of books and newspaper articles and pretty much anything she could find with words and characters on it were scattered everywhere, in between her piles of clothes and empty water bottles and cans. The room constantly looked like a tornado had hit it, but it wasn't like anyone eversaw her room anyways.

That was another thing she disliked about the town, the lack of friends or friendly people. Sure, she had never had many friends, so it wasn't like she knew what it was like anyways. But from what she had read in books the people in Powell were stuck up and rude compared to what life must be like out there, in other places. Rose's thoughts were set on this as she finally found her favorite book, _Cinderella_, and noticed her bookmark made of an old ripped newspaper article was still on the page she had left it on. After flipping it open and losing herself in the words immediately, she absently-mindedly walked down the stairs to her small kitchen and sat down at the table, still not looking up.

"Rose?" her mother, Jackie, asked, staring at her while preparing two cups of tea, as per usual. "Earth to Rose?"

Rose's eyes snapped up and she shut the book with an apologetic smile. "Hi, Mum! How are you this morning?"

"Great! I think I'm almost done with my invention for the fair… I hope I can get it finished in time. How are you doing? Reading that book again, I see."

"You know I love it," Rose replied with mock annoyance. "You really should try it sometime! And I know you'll get your invention finished in time, Mum. You're the greatest inventor in the whole world!"

Jackie grinned and Rose stood up to give her a hug. "Thanks for the tea," she said, grabbing the cup and sitting back down to flip open her book.

"No problem. Oh, by the way Rose, that Master bloke was looking for you earlier. Told him you were showering and to come back later… I didn't want to say you were still sleeping."

The younger girl frowned and ran a hand through her matted, bed-head hair. "The Master really can't take a hint, can he?"

"You really should consider him, sweetheart." Jackie spoke as gently as possible, sitting across from Rose at the white wooden table. "He's very handsome, would make a fine husband for you, I would think."

"He's handsome, all right, and dumb as a brick. I don't want him, Mum, I want adventure in far off places! I want to travel, to discover things and meet a real, good man!"

Jackie sighed, "I still just can't see what you see Rose. But every woman in town is dying to have the Master…"

Rose rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I've noticed. It's kind of hard not to when women practically pass out as he walks by."

This made her mother chuckle a little, and Rose sipped her tea again, flipping another page and staring at the words without really reading them. If only she could be as lucky as Cinderella, freedom, adventure, meeting a Prince Charming. How nice would it be to have a real purpose? To have people love you and to do something different everyday? To depend on people and have them depend on you in return?

After her tea was gone and she had made some progress in her book Rose decided it was time to get ready to face the day. Brushing out her hair quickly, Rose quickly got dressed into a simple, long green dress that flowed down to her knees and accentuated her legs, and waved good-bye to her mum before leaving the house. As soon as she walked out she took in the nice, fresh air and sighed. The town may not be what she wanted, but the fresh air would never get old.

Rose walked out into the middle of the town and sat by her favorite fountain, flipping mindlessly through her book. Around Rose women were staring and whispering things to one another, some giggling at her and raising eyebrows. Rose just continued her reading peacefully, not wanting to disturb a single one of the other citizens. After all, she was used to it by now. Obviously her stories filled with princesses and castles and dragons and witches and other mythical, fun things were not welcome in a place like this.

People looked down upon others for liking such things and reading about them, and basically anything that wasn't normal was out of the question for the best women of the town of Powell. However, Rose's mother told her to ignore this fact, and so Rose continued to read as much as she liked. After about an hour she had finished her story, still smiling from the happy ending, and walked to the local library.

"Rose!" Jimmy Stone said happily, pulling her in for a hug that was much too tight.

Rose winced a little bit, since although she would never tell anyone, Jimmy Stone had always scared her a little bit. His constant flirting had never really been cute, and he never, ever gave up. Pushing this thought to the side she plastered a fake smile on her face and returned the hug, "Jimmy!" Of course, the only other person in the town who enjoyed books, and she just had to be freaked out by him. The library was still a busy place, filled with students who needed to do research or wanted to learn about a famous historical figure. It was only the fiction section that was deserted in the corner, covered with dust and only ever touched by Rose or Jimmy himself. Half of the books were missing, since Rose was borrowing them and could renew them as many times as she liked due to the lack of demand, and the other half had already been read six times.

"Anything new in, Jimmy?" she asked hopefully as she did every morning, biting her lower lip a little.

Jimmy frowned, "No, sorry, Rose, nothing new in for you. Although we're expecting a shipment in oh, I'd say a week? There may be some new material for you then."

"Really?!" Rose squeaked with excitement. "That'd be brilliant! Anyways, I'm here to return this." She handed Jimmy the book, but he didn't accept it.

"This is your favorite book, Rose. Why don't you keep it?"

Her eyes widened and she blinked. "Are you serious?"

"Of course I'm serious. It's my little present to you." Jimmy Stone winked at her; a sight that would normally make her gag, but luckily enough right now nothing could kill her mood.

"Thank you so much!"

She said her goodbyes and walked back out onto the town, content as possible and hugging her new book close to her chest. Out of the corner of her eye, at the edge of the town square, she spotted the Master and Mickey, standing close together as Mickey whispered something into the Master's ear. Rose shuddered a little as the two stared at her, and walked a little quicker down the road.


	2. Two Turtle Doves

The Master ran a hand through his short, blonde hair and frowned, whispering in Mickey's ear. "Do you see her?"

Mickey nodded enthusiastically, "I see her. Right there." He pointed his finger towards Rose, looking at the Master to see if he spotted her as well.

"Oh, there she is. Isn't she beautiful?" The Master sighed, sitting down on a bench and resting his head in his hands, staring at her.

"With all due respect, Master," Mickey said gently, sitting next to him, "she's a bit weird. Look at that book she's clutching so close to her chest! She's holding it like it's her child!"

"I can snap her out of that reading habit," the other man insisted.

"I'd like to see that. She's glued to those books, she is."

The Master stood up and grabbed Mickey by the collar of his shirt. "Rickey… I'd like some support on this matter, not some of your sass."

"My name is Mickey," the shorter man replied meekly, swallowing twice in a row, "and yes sir."

"Sure it is. Now look at Rose Tyler and tell me she isn't the most beautiful girl in town."

"Oh," Mickey sighed a little, copying the Master's pose and resting his head in his hands while his feet rested on the ground, "she's definitely the most beautiful woman."

"Now look at me and tell me I'm not the most beautiful man in all of town."

"I'll help you get Rose, Master. You're definitely the best man in all of town, and if anyone can snap Rose out of her weird reading habit, you can!" Mickey puffed out his chest a little and looked at the Master lovingly.

"You bet I can! Watch, I'm going to go up to her right now!"

The two men began walking towards Rose, who was now speed walking in the other direction down the road. The Master picked up his pace and walked right behind Rose, until she suddenly stopped and turned around, causing him to crash into her and making her book fly onto the ground. "Rose! I'm sorry!" The Master said instantly, picking up the book instead of her and inspecting it.

"Master… How nice to see you…" Rose did one of her A+ fake smiles and tried to grab the book from him, which the Master had swiped away from her reach.

"How can you read this...? There are no pictures! It must be so boring!" He turned the book upside down and handed it to Mickey, who looked at it disgustedly.

Rose rolled her eyes in mock exasperation. "Some of us use our imaginations, Master."

"Imagination… Imagination… Imaguh. Nation. See, Rose, you could live a great life with your imagination, or…" The Master trailed off, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Or?" She raised an eyebrow, folding her arms across her chest.

"You could be a mother! A wife, a good wife! Imagine this… A log cabin, me coming home with my latest kill… You massaging my feet on our green, leather couch. Our twelve bouncing boys running amuck, playing with a live squirrel."

Rose's face wrinkled up as she let out a tiny sound of disapproval. "Er… Master, I think I'll stick with my imagination. But thanks for the offer… Now can I have that book back, Mickey?"

Mickey shrugged and handed the book to her by its spine, and Rose winced a little when she saw a few pages were turned and ripped. "Well... If you ever change your mind..." The Master gave her a wink and she groaned with disgust. "You know where to find me."

He spun around on his heels proudly, walking back towards the town as women swooned over him on the side of the road. The second he was gone, Rose bolted home and practically leaped inside, slamming the door shut behind her.

"Rose?!" Jackie's voice called out from the basement.

"I'm home!" Rose replied, desperately trying to straighten out the pages of _Cinderella._

A loud explosion boomed from below and the smell of smoke and ash flew up the stairs. "Sorry about that!" Jackie popped up the steps, gray goggles over her eyes and a dirty, dust-ridden blue shirt with large pants that didn't fit and no shoes. "Come see it, Rose! I think it may be done!"

Rose grinned and sprinted down the stairs after her mother, coughing when the smoke hit her again. "I can't even see!"

A familiar hand grabbed hers and led her in the direction of the invention. The smoke cleared surprisingly quickly, and Rose was met with a machine she had seen many times. The mechanisms of it were extremely complex to Rose, and the machine's purpose was to make a basic lamp run off of cotton.

Of course, that meant that the mechanics of the machine would be the difficult part.

Luckily, Jackie Tyler was a genius. She had gone to a top-notch school with flawless grades, not having to pay a penny to go there because she had been invited. While there she met the man of her dreams, a man named Pete who was just as smart as she was, only he liked to dream a little bit bigger. Pete told her about all his aspirations, how he was going to start a shop, become a rich man, live in a nice house and raise a nice family.

Before she even knew what was happening, Pete and Jackie were engaged. Jackie was as happy as could be, shrieking in glee when he proposed and smiling for hours on end. They planned out their entire life together, excited and youthful, until Jackie got pregnant. Rose Tyler was born when Jackie was in her very last year of school, and it was difficult for Jackie and Pete to take care of Rose while finishing their classes. However, they stuck together and hoped for the best.

That was all until a stampeding horse killed Pete about two years later.

Jackie was a mess at first, drinking her problems away and crying herself to sleep. She still managed to take good care of Rose, putting on fake smiles for her and taking her all around. It took Jackie several years to get over Pete and continue inventing, but when she did, she struck lucky. She invented a new irrigation system that made enough money for Rose and Jackie to live for a few good years on their own. Which was good, because since then Jackie hadn't been able to invent even a usable bucket.

The annual invention fair was held every year in a far away city, and only the best inventors were invited to share their creations. If Jackie could fix up her cotton-powered lamp, not only would she win the fair, but also money would flow into their household and they would most likely be set for another few years. The fair, as Jackie said, would be their chance to reclaim their lives.

So when Rose saw the eccentric, silvery machine with parts sticking out every which way, she wasn't thrilled about their chances of winning. She didn't let this show, however, and gave a big grin at Jackie who returned it enthusiastically. "It looks great! Does it work?" Rose asked, raising an eyebrow.

Jackie scoffed, "Does it work? Of course it works, sweetheart! Give it a go!"

Rose shrugged a little and picked up a large batch of cotton from a bowl, placing it into the tube of the machine and waiting. Soon a loud moan emerged from the machine, along with a little grunt. A little light that was attached lit up nice and bright, and Rose squealed with excitement. "That's amazing! How does it work?"

"Well… Basically I just took the tube that the cotton goes into and attached it to these three red wires, right here. And the electrical current comes from the-" Jackie took one look at Rose and frowned. "It's a little confusing. Anyways, I'll be off to the fair! Wish me luck, sweetheart!"

Jackie began pulling her machine up the stairs, but when Rose realized what was happening a hurt expression grew on her face. "Mum, can't I come?"

"It's a bit of a dangerous path… I'm sorry, love. I'll be home soon, I promise!"

Rose nodded understandingly, but the frown never left her face. "Alright, good luck, mum. I'll see you later."

"Come on, Arthur, off we go!" Jackie encouraged the horse to begin moving after she checked that the cotton machine was safely attached to the wagon and wouldn't fall off and break.

The horse began running and Jackie smiled at the breeze that flew into her face. God, she was finally going to win this fair. The chance of a lifetime! As she exited the town of Powell she tried to remember which way she was heading, so she pulled out her map and turned it around so it was upright. "Er… We're here…" She pointed at Powell and looked at the surrounding towns and cities. "And we need to go to the city of Krop Tor… So I think we go… Left! Take a left, Arthur!"

Jackie directed the horse, and Arthur obeyed, turning a left down a disturbingly scary path in the woods. The trees loomed over them and suddenly the sunlight was gone, leaving them squinting in the dark. A few bats flew by in the distance and Jackie jumped a little before scolding herself for being afraid of such things. The path grew darker and darker until they could barely see a thing, and Jackie was considering turning around. Arthur the horse was definitely against going anywhere by now, and she pitied him for having to do this. The machine was still in place and they turned around, with Jackie squinting to see her map in the dim light of the moon.

Suddenly, out of the woods came a small pack of six wolves, their teeth bared and eyes hungry. Arthur squealed a little and sprinted to the edge of a cliff, where he turned around to face the wolves, unsure of what to do. Jackie yelled out for help, but being in the middle of nowhere was definitely not an advantage as the wolves closed in on them. "Help!" She repeated, hugging Arthur closer to her and shaking with fear.

As she looked through her tears she noticed a small hole in the wolves' little circle, so she whipped Arthur, directing him through the pack. He leaped and ran as fast as he could, which was remarkable for such an old horse, and they approached a gate. Jackie hopped off of Arthur and ran to the gate, banging on it loudly to anyone who would hear and yelling, "Help! Someone please, let me in! There are wolves out here!"

And, as if to confirm her words, the six wolves came from behind her, making Arthur sprint away in fear, the cotton machine clinks along behind him. "Arthur! Someone, help!" The wolves slowly closed in once again, their circle full this time, making Jackie think they had learned from their mistake previously. She trembled against the gate, still rattling with it a little bit and facing her imminent death, when the gate creaked open.


	3. Three French Hens

Without hesitation she leaped inside, slamming the gate shut behind her and not caring about the fact that her brown cap had fallen on the ground outside. Breathing heavily, she examined her surroundings and fell onto the ground out of exhaustion.

Jackie surely would have found the courtyard to be stunningly beautiful if she hadn't been so frightened. It had a large fountain in the middle with water spraying in eight directions, several curvy paths leading through the gardens on both sides and flowers of kinds she had never seen before. The walls around it were high and gray, with moss covering them. The gate looked rusty and unused, and she smiled when she noticed the wolves had begun to give up and walk away, still snarling a little at the fact that they had lost their meal.

Jackie walked up to the fountain and splashed some water in her face, relishing at the feeling. Then she walked up to the large, brown doors that were in the middle of the huge castle and knocked loudly. The entire castle had to be about twenty times bigger than her home, and much more beautiful. The walls matched the courtyard ones and the roof was a sleek black color. It was a very stereotypical castle, with large windows and the double-doors four times taller than she was.

The door creaked open and Jackie stepped in cautiously, searching around the dim foyer. The inside of the house was just as magnificent as the outside, if not even larger. "It's bigger on the inside…" She mumbled to herself, shutting the door and searching for a lamp.

What Jackie couldn't see was a man and a woman hiding under a table, staring at her with wide eyes. "What do we do?" The red haired woman whispered to the man with black hair, shaking a little with fear.

"Let's see what he wants," the man suggested with a tiny shrug.

Jackie continued searching the room, admiring the large stairs with a beautiful red velvet carpet draped over them. "Hello?" She called quietly, still trembling a little, "Is anyone home?"

The man hiding gave the woman with red hair a little wink before stepping out to face Jackie, flicking a lamp on that illuminated the room. "Hello!" He said happily, reaching out his hand.

The blonde woman shook it with a smile, "Hi, I'm Jackie Tyler! I'm so glad you're here… There were wolves outside, and they attacked me… My horse ran away, and I was stuck."

"I'm Jack Harkness," the man said with a wink, coughing towards the table.

The woman with red hair stepped out with a groan, and fixed the man beside her with a glare. "Jack… You can't just let guests in without the Doctor knowing!" Her expression turned to kindness as she extended her hand as well. "I'm Donna Noble."

Jackie nodded and raised an eyebrow at the table they had been hiding under. "How many people can fit under there?"

"Sorry, we didn't know who you were. But, er, don't worry, it's just us two." Jack explained apologetically.

"Is there any chance I can spend the night here?"

"No!" Donna said quickly.

"Of course!" Jack said at the same time, taking Jackie's hand and leading her down a hallway. "Now, Don, we are not rude to guests!"

"But if the Doctor finds out…" Donna began worriedly, tugging on Jack's arm to get him to stop.

"The Doc won't find out."

"Listen," Jackie said with a sigh, "if I'm a bother then don't worry about it. The wolves are gone now, maybe I can make it home…"

"No ma'am, I insist! You are our guest here!" Jack insisted, sitting her down on a large, leather couch in front of a fireplace. "Warm yourself up by the fire! Enjoy yourself! We'll get you some tea, alright?"

"That's the Doctor's chair…" Donna whispered to Jack, even though Jackie could hear anyways.

Jack ignored her. "Sarah Jane! We need tea!"

Another woman with short, cropped brown hair entered the room with a little boy following behind her, clutching at her leg. She curtsied to Jackie and grinned, "I'm Sarah Jane. This is Tony."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Jackie," Jackie said, taking the tiny teacup from Tony and sipping. "This is delicious!"

Tony smiled a little at Sarah and she gave him a little hug. She turned to Jack and Donna, "does the Doctor know Jackie is here?"

"Is the Doctor the owner of this house?" The blonde woman asked, sipping the tea that was already a fourth of the way gone.

Jack, Donna, and Sarah Jane shared some worried looks. "Yes, he is." Jack nodded, giving a glare to Donna. "But you are most welcome here, ma'am, trust me."

Suddenly, loud footsteps could be heard from the foyer's staircase. Donna jumped at the sound, "Oh god, it's the Doctor. We need to hide Jackie! We need to… Oh god, Jack, you idiot!"

Sarah Jane took Tony and walked back into the kitchen calmly. Donna was practically shaking as a shadowy figure entered the room, while Jack had a nervous smile plastered onto his face as he stood in front of Jackie, attempting to hide her. "Hello, sir!"

"Why is there a stranger here?" The husky voice in the shadows growled instantly, making Jack and Donna shrink to the size of ants.

"Sir, allow me to explain," Jack said politely, bowing his head a little, "this woman was in the woods. She was being chased by wolves, her horse ran away, and she needed a place to stay for the night."

Jackie turned around in the chair to see the man, but the corner of the room he was standing in blocked his face from her vision. What she could see, though, was that he was rather tall and was wearing all black, as well as a pair of sleek dress shoes. "I'm very sorry to intrude," Jackie spoke, swallowing nervously. "I'll be on my way."

Donna coughed before mumbling. "Doctor, I'd just like to say that I was against this from the start. The way that-"

"ENOUGH!" The Doctor shouted, making them all quiet. "You," he said, obviously speaking to Jackie, "what are you staring at?"

Jackie's eyes widened and she stuttered her response. "I… Er, nothing."

"Come to see the beast that is the Doctor, have you?" The man walked out of the shadows, stepping towards Jackie.

A tiny whimper of weakness escaped her lips as she took in his appearance. A thick, leather jacket coated his body and a black shirt was barely visible underneath. He wore normal jeans and dress shoes, but it was his face that really caught her attention. Trimmed, dark hair accentuated his blue eyes that definitely meant business. They pierced her like a knife and if she wasn't sitting, she would've taken a step back at the glare he was giving her. His face was old; but she guessed he was around middle age.

Even though he was one of the most terrifying sites she had ever seen, she couldn't tear her eyes away.

"No… I haven't come to see the, er, beast. I'll just be…" she stumbled up, almost tripping over herself.

"STOP!" he demanded and she froze instantly, eyes still fixated on him. Donna swallowed nervously and Jack wrung his hands together. "I'll give you a place to stay for the night," the Doctor said in a much quieter voice. "Take her to the dungeon."

"But, sir," Jack insisted, eyes pleading and big.

"I said, take her to the dungeon. Now."

Outside Rose's house a tiny crowd was forming. The Master and Mickey were talking as a band waited in the background, guests that the Master had invited, and a few other residents of Powell had gathered around to watch what was about to take place. "Gosh, Rose is about to get the surprise of her lifetime, Master!" Mickey said happily, bouncing on the balls of his feet with excitement.

"Of course she is," the Master replied, puffing out his chest and grinning. "I'm about to be a married man, Rickey. Can you believe it?"

"My name is Mickey," Mickey replied simply.

"Sure it is. Now, you know what to do, right?"

He nodded towards the band, "When you walk out with Rose in your arms I start the band and the wedding begins."

"Right," the Master said, "now, wish me luck. Not that I'll need it."

With a wink, the Master knocked on Rose's door loudly, leaning against the doorframe as she opened it in her same common green dress and barefooted-ness. "Oh, hi, Master," she said with a polite smile.

The Master turned his head quickly to make sure that Mickey, the band, and the guests were out of sight. "Hello, Rose. May I come in?"

"Well, actually I'm a bit busy with-"

"Great." He walked in anyways, pulling out a chair at her kitchen table and sitting down before propping his feet up on it, mud splattering everywhere from his black boots.

Rose walked over to him and grabbed a paper towel, cleaning up the mud although he seemed not to notice. "What brings you here, Master?" She said, a bit more bitterness in her tone.

Normally she wasn't mean, but this was ridiculous.

"Rose, I'm here to make you an offer you can't refuse." She raised an eyebrow and he continued, "Remember that image I told you about earlier today?"

"Which one?" Rose wanted to add, 'you give me many, many disturbing images', but she thought better of it.

"The one of your dream, our dream. Sitting in a log cabin with a fire, feet rubbing, children, remember that?"

She resisted the urge to shudder. "Yeah, I remember it."

"I'm here to make that dream, your dream," he accentuated the 'your' with a cheeky grin, "come true."

Rose chuckled, "Oh yeah? How?"

"Listen… Rose… There's not a girl in Powell who wouldn't like to be in your shoes. You know that, right?" The Master followed her as she walked into the kitchen, pouring herself tea.

"Want some tea? And, what shoes? You're not making much sense."

He took the pot from her hands and set it down. "Rose, say you'll marry me."

She lowered her head and her eyes widened in shock, "Master… That's er… Such a pleasant surprise."

"I'm full of pleasant surprises!" Rose began walking towards the door, shaking her head, but he insisted. "Marry me, Rose Tyler."

Rose walked up to the door but the Master leaned against it, stopping her from leaving. She sighed, "Master, I just don't deserve you. So no thank you."

She twisted the doorknob open and he tumbled out the door, looking up to see Rose shutting it before she could apologize. He groaned, pulling a flower out of his hair as he turned to look at Mickey.

Mickey shrugged and gave the signal to the band, which began playing "Here comes the bride". The Master groaned and picked up a small rock from the garden, throwing it at Mickey's head. He stopped the band immediately and helped the Master up. "So, how'd it go?"

"She said no!" The Master said, shocked. "She said no to me! Mark my words, Rickey Smith, I will have Rose Tyler as my wife!"

The Master stormed off, leaving Mickey awkwardly standing in front of the band. He mumbled quietly to himself, "It's Mickey…" before following quickly after him.

"God," Rose groaned in disbelief to the dishes as she washed them. "Can you believe him? He asked me to marry him! Me, a housewife! I want so much more than this… It's not fair! I don't want to live in stupid Powell all my life!"

She walked out of the door in anger, looking out around her. "It's not fair!" Suddenly, Arthur came bounding across the plain with the cotton machine still harnessed to him. "Arthur?" Rose said with surprise, gawping at the startled horse.

He ran up to her and she placed her hand on his nose, trying to understand what had happened. "Where's Mum? Oh, god." She took the harness off of Arthur and hopped onto his back, urging him to take her where Jackie was.

Arthur, smart as he was, galloped off into the forest, following the trail he had taken to get Jackie to the castle.

* * *

**A/N:** Hooray for Jack, Donna, and a creepy Master! Hip hip hooray!


	4. Four Calling Birds

"What is this place?..." Rose mumbled as she hopped off Arthur's back, resting her hand on the gate of the castle and removing it just as quickly as the coldness of it stung her skin. "It's huge…"

She looked down and saw Jackie's brown cap laying on the ground, torn and dirtied. "Oh god, Mum!"

After rattling with the gate for a moment it opened and Rose sprinted to the door of the castle, opening it cautiously and stepping inside. Donna and Jack were in the living room, talking amongst themselves and hadn't noticed Rose slipping inside.

"Oh, I'm Jack, let's just invite strangers into the Doctor's castle and serve them tea! Oh, let's let them sit in his chair too, because why not?!" Donna mocked him, scowling.

Jack rolled his eyes, "I was trying to be polite!"

"Hello? Is someone there?" Rose's voice rang out as she searched the foyer.

Jack and Donna let out a simultaneous yelp and hid behind a counter, scared stiff. Rose walked into the living room and searched around, not seeing the little boy who was watching her from the kitchen doorway.

"Sarah Jane!" Tony whispered, running back into the kitchen straight to her and tugging on her arm, "There's a girl in the castle! A real, live, blonde girl! I swear, I saw her!"

Sarah chuckled, "Tony, I won't have you making up stories. There are no new girls in the castle."

Reinette ran into the room, eyes wide, "There's a girl in the castle!"

Back behind the counter, Jack and Donna were whispering to one another angrily. "Did you see who it was?!" Donna asked excitedly.

"It was a girl! A real, live, human girl! I saw her clearly, she was blonde!" Jack replied happily.

"No way it was a girl, that's impossible!"

"It was! Take a peek!"

Donna obeyed and peered her head over the counter, staring at the confused Rose. "Oh my god, it is a girl!"

Jack squealed, "Don't you see?! She's the one we've been waiting for! She'll break the spell and we'll all be Time Lords again and return to Gallifrey! Come on!"

He left their hiding spot with Donna clutching at his leg and bounced over to Rose. "Hello! My name is Jack!"

Rose smiled charismatically, "Hi, I'm Rose. Have you seen my mother? She's about… This tall… A little feisty… An inventor?"

Donna stepped out from the counter next, walking up behind Jack. "Er… Nope, no, we haven't seen your mother. Sorry, dear."

Rose ignored them and walked up to a trapdoor on the floor, opening it and examining the ladder that lead downwards. "Let me out!" Jackie's shout echoed up the trapdoor, making Rose gasp.

"That's my Mum! I'm going to get her!" Before Donna or Jack could stop her, Rose was halfway down the ladder yelling, "I'm coming, Mum!"

As soon as her feet hit the new floor she sprinted in the darkness to Jackie's cell, grabbing her hands that were sticking out through the bars. "Rose, oh, you have to get out of here sweetheart! You have to go right now!"

"Your hands are like ice," Rose commented, a frown on her face. "Let's get you out of here, Mum."

Suddenly, a pair of hands grabbed Rose by her shoulders and twirled her around, making her shriek. The room was so dark she could just barely see the man's face. "Rose, get back!" Jackie pleaded, "You have to get away from him!"

Rose backed up a little until she bumped into the wall. "Who are you? Why can't I see you?"

"What are you doing here?" The man asked simply, glaring at her with piercing blue eyes that were barely visible.

"My mother… Can't you see that she's sick? I'll take her home and we won't bother you again. Just let us go."

"You both shouldn't have trespassed on this land." As he said this, Rose noted that he had a northern accent and a deep, gruff voice. "Your mother is my prisoner."

"We didn't mean to trespass! This is all a mistake!" She sighed as she realized her words were of no use. "What if I take her place?"

The man's tone turned interested instead of angry. "You would replace her as my prisoner?"

"Rose… I've lived my life, just go!" Jackie cried, gripping the iron bars until her knuckles turned white.

"Yes, I would," Rose said simply, ignoring her mother and standing up a little straighter. "Would you promise to let her go?"

The man considered this for a moment. "Yes, I would."

"Then take me and let her go."

"You would have to stay here for the rest of your life," the man said with a bowed head. "You must promise never to leave, never to attempt escape or any treason of the sort."

Rose contemplated this, squinting her eyes. "Step out into the light…"

The man complied after a moment, giving her a full view of himself. Jackie looked away at the sight of him, but Rose just stared into his eyes with bravery. His eyes were still the same piercing blue color, but with a tiny hint of interest and amusement in them, something Jackie didn't see the last time. Rose tried not to shake or move at all, showing him she wasn't afraid. Although, she was most definitely afraid. The man's hands slid into his pockets and he waited for her to make a decision.

"I'll stay," she stated simply, tears coming to her eyes. "You have my word."

"Rose, please don't!" Jackie cried out again, banging on the wall with frustration and her helplessness. The Doctor unlocked Jackie's cell and she sprinted over to Rose, holding her in her arms. "Rose, please, listen to me! Like I said, I'm old! Just leave me and go, please, please go!"

The Doctor tore Jackie away and carried her out of the jail room, up the ladder, and outside, throwing her out of the gates and onto Arthur. "If you come back here, I'll kill her," the Doctor gave her one warning and shot back around, marching into the castle and back down to Rose.

Rose sat on the floor, exactly where the Doctor had left her, her head resting in her hands as pouted and tears dripped down from her eyes. "You didn't let me say goodbye…" She sniffled a little bit, looking up at the man whom she could see clearly now. "Why?"

A hint of sadness washed over his expression and she stood up to face him. He didn't reply, and Jack walked up to him and whispered in his ear, "Doctor… If Rose is going to be staying with us, perhaps you should offer her a more comfortable room."

The Doctor scowled and shooed him away before turning back to Rose. "Fine. Let me show you to your room."

Rose nodded and followed him as he climbed back up the ladder and walked down a long, winding hallway to a room with a dark purple door. Creepy statues lined the walls and the entire house reeked of death and misery. Jack caught up to them and walked with the Master, whispering to him again. "Say something to her…"

"Um…" He turned to Rose awkwardly, scratching his neck. "I hope you like it here."

The Doctor's eyes flickered to Jack for approval who waved his arms, gesturing for him to continue. "You can go anywhere you'd like in the castle. Except the West Wing. It's forbidden."

Rose's eyes widened with interest, "What's in the West Wing?"

"It's FORBIDDEN!" The Doctor boomed, turning on his heels and glaring at her.

She nodded meekly and continued following him and Jack in silence. When they reached the door the Doctor opened it, allowing Rose to walk inside. Rose flicked the light switch on the wall and smiled at the room. At least it was nice looking.

The floor was beige and the walls were a light purple, almost matching the pink she had in her room back home. Two large, circular windows lined the far wall and transparent black curtains were drawn over them. The bed was beautiful, with a large mahogany frame and matching curtains all around it. There was a walk in closet filled with clothes and the ensuite was bigger than any she had ever seen before.

"It's like this house is…" She began, walking around the room, unable to find the right words.

"Bigger on the inside," the Doctor finished with a nod. "My servants will attend to any of your needs."

Jack coughed and the Doctor glared at him. "Invite her to dinner…" He mumbled into his ear.

"Oh, yes. You will join me for dinner, Rose," the man said simply, walking out of the room and slamming the door shut behind him.

The weight of Rose's emotions were crashing down on her, so, as soon as the two were gone, she threw herself on the bed and cried, tears staining the purple pillow. "Oh god, Mum, will I never see you again?"

A loud coughing in her room made her look around and, through teary eyes, she could see a woman with bright red hair staring at her with tan skin, smiling in the doorway. "Don't cry!" Rose was surprised to find the woman had a heavy Scottish accent. "This place isn't that bad once you get used to it!"

"Who are you?" Rose asked, sniffing.

"Amy Pond," the woman extended her hand, still smiling. "And you're Rose Tyler! I've already heard all about you! I'll help you with whatever you need here, okay?"

Rose grinned apologetically, "I'm sorry for crying so much. It's a bit embarrassing."

"Oh, Rose, what you did was so brave of you! Everyone thinks so! Anyways, let's get you cheered up and find you something nice to wear to dinner, shall we[ML1] ?"


	5. Five Golden Rings

"Who does she think she is, Fickey? Nobody says no to the Master!" The Master groaned, burying his face in his hands while Mickey ordered him another drink, which the bartender brought quickly.

"Darn right! You need to tell that girl what her position is!" Mickey said, shoving the drink towards him before ordering his own. "My name is Mickey, by the way."

"Why, I was dismissed. Rejected. Publicly humiliated!" The Master sighed, turning on the stool to face the rest of the bar, where the citizens of Powell were chatting amongst themselves and dancing to the quick-paced music. "Who does she think she is?" he repeated, frowning.

"Wipe that frown off your face, sir!" Mickey stood up, holding the Master's drink and shoving it towards him. "More beer?"

"It doesn't help!" The Master said simply, flicking his hand toward Mickey and sending the drink flying to the ground, where it shattered with a crashing sound.

The bartender, Rory Williams, glared at them, "You two are paying for that!"

"Sorry, Rory," the Master spun back around to face him. "Did you hear what happened?"

Rory raised an eyebrow, "What, Rose Tyler rejecting you when you had set up a wedding for her and everything?"

The Master stared him down angrily.

"Never heard about it," the man dismissed immediately, running a hand through his short, brown hair. "Nope, didn't hear a thing."

"God, how could she? Just look at me Rory, Nickey, I'm perfect! Why did she say no?... How can I make Rose Tyler my wife?..."

Rory sighed, setting down the wet rag he was holding and leaning against the counter. "You could try having a nice, deep conversation with her." With these words, he received two blank stares. "I don't know, don't ask me." He resumed his work, whistling loudly.

"Master… You're the best man in this town, don't let her get to you! You're the strongest, the fastest, the biggest, the smar-…" Mickey frowned, "the strongest!"

"Are you trying to say I'm not smart! Of course I am! I know plenty of things. Did you know that the best gun for shooting Canadian Geese with is the Rem..."

Mickey cut him off. "No, not that kind of smart! I mean like… Uh, what do they call it? Book smart! Rose likes books, so if you were book smart, she would like you!"

The Master gave him a blank look, clearly not following. "I own hunting books."

"Fiction! Rose likes fiction! You know, adventure stories? Mysteries?" Mickey sighed, "This may be harder than I thought."

"HELP!" Jackie ran in suddenly, bursting through the doors of the bar.

Rory set his glass down and stared at her. "Jackie?"

"He's got her!" Jackie cried, grabbing the shirt of anyone who would listen. "He's got Rose locked in the dungeon!"

A local man named Canton Everett Delaware looked up and laughed, "Who's got her?"

"A man! A hideous, evil man, with scary eyes!"

Canton chuckled again, sipping his drink. "Does this man wear all black and have sharp teeth like a monster?"

"Yes! He's in full black!"

The Master stood up and walked up to Jackie, resting his hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Jackie, we'll help you."

"Oh, thank you! It's a castle! It's in the woods!" She insisted, staring up at him worriedly.

Canton smirked and got up, helping the Master lift up Jackie and toss her out of the pub onto her bum in the cold. "No, wait!" Jackie yelled as the door slammed shut and she groaned in frustration.

Everyone sat back down and Canton mumbled, "Crazy old Jackie."

"Crazy old Jackie…" The Master repeated, turning to Mickey. "Crazy… Old… Jackie… Tyler… Mucky, I have an idea!"

"My name isn't Mucky! That's even worse than Rickey!" Mickey groaned, but the Master ignored him. "What's your idea?"

The Master leaned in and whispered his plan to Mickey, who smiled crazily. "That's genius!" Mickey exclaimed, encouraging Rory to come closer.

After telling Rory his plan he told Canton, then all the other men in the bar one at a time. Rory got out several glasses and called out to the bar, "To the Master's marriage, which we will soon be celebrating!"

"Hooray!"

* * *

Rose was picking out her dress with Amy when there was a random knock on the door. "I'll get it," Amy offered, opening it up to see Sarah Jane and Tony there.

Tony was holding a cup of tea in his hands and offered it to Rose before turning to Sarah. "I told you she was pretty, Sarah Jane, didn't I?"

"Oh, now that's enough Tony," Sarah said with a smile, offering her hand to Rose. "I'm Sarah Jane. This here is Tony. His last name is Tyler too, funny enough. Tony Tyler and Rose Tyler."

"I was just telling Rose how brave we thought she was for saving her mother," Amy said to Sarah, casually opening the curtains to reveal the outside world where snow was beginning to fall.

"Oh, absolutely," Sarah agreed.

Rose sipped the tea and tears came to her eyes, "I lost everything, though. My mother, my dreams…"

"Don't worry! It'll turn out alright! Now come on, Tony, let's go set the table for dinner!"

Tony grinned and waved by to Rose before bounding after Sarah, shutting the door behind them.

"So, this dress then," Amy said, pointing to a short, pink dress with ruffles at the bottom and top, and large straps but no sleeves. "And maybe this jacket with it, it is rather cold, even in here." She gestured to a thin, black jacket and Rose nodded, smiling through her tears.

"They're both beautiful, thank you, but I'm not going to dinner with him." She couldn't bear to speak his name even though she knew it by now.

There was another knock on the door and this time Rose opened it to see Jack, who was now wearing a black and white tuxedo that looked, in her opinion, very flattering.

"My lady Rose," Jack said with a sparkling-white toothed grin, "dinner is served at the main table."

"No thank you, Jack," she replied, beginning to shut the door, which he held open with his left foot.

"I insist, Rose," he continued his debonair smile and his eyes flitted nervously to Amy, who shrugged. "The Doctor would greatly enjoy your presence at dinner tonight. I think you'll find the food to be perfect."

"I'm sure I would," she replied. "However, I'm not hungry at the moment. Tell the Doctor," Rose said his name with an icy hatred that she didn't even bother to disguise, "I said no."

"Er..." Jack scratched his neck and sighed, "Okay. I'll tell him."

Rose shut the door and Jack groaned in frustration, unsure of what to do. Donna walked up to him, staring at the door. "I heard what she said... What will the Doctor do?"

"I don't know, but you're coming with me to tell him."

Before she could protest, Jack had grabbed her right arm and began pulling her down the stairs, ignoring her cries. "Er... Doctor?" Jack straightened up his tuxedo and stared at the man waiting in the foyer expectantly.

"Where is she?" the Doctor demanded, tapping his foot a little and scowling at them.

"Well, you see sir," Donna quickly gave him a small smile, which faded just as quickly when he took a step towards her. "She's not hungry."

"NOT HUNGRY?" He bellowed in rage, marching up to them and stopping when his face was only inches away from Jack's.

"Mhmm," Jack hummed, taking a step back and tripping on Donna's foot, causing her to fall backwards on top of Jack.

The Doctor leaned down and picked up Jack by the lapels of his tuxedo. "Get her to the dinner table now. I'll be waiting."

"Yes sir," Jack nodded as Donna stood up behind him, "right away."

He fumbled up the stairs with Donna on his tail, tripping on every other step and bruising himself on the red carpet. "Rose!"

Rose answered the door again with a sigh, a bit surprised when she noticed Jack was panting with exhaustion and his face was bright red. "Jack, what's wrong?"

"Er... He would really like you to come to dinner."

"Please, please come," Donna added, rubbing her forehead.

Tears came to Rose's eyes and she looked back at Amy, whose expression could only be described as pity. "But I'm scared of him! He's awful and mean..."

Amy sighed, walking out of the door. "Get yourself ready, Rose. I'll talk to him for you, alright?"

Rose nodded shyly and thanked Donna before she was alone in the room, staring at the beautiful dress in front of her. "Well here goes nothing," she mumbled, removing her shoes.

* * *

"Sit up straighter," Amy said to the Doctor, kneeling next to him while he sat at the head of the dining room table.

The room itself could be called nothing less than magnificent. A silky purple carpet covered the floor and the wallpaper had pink flowers on it. Not the manliest of dining rooms, but it wasn't like he had much of a choice in the design of the house. The walls were lined with paintings from and of Gallifrey, as if they were put there only to taunt him. The table itself was long and rectangular, with seat after unfilled seat lining the sides of it. At either end of the table was the head chairs, large and much more impressive than the other since that was where the Doctor sat.

The Doctor groaned as Amy gave him more instructions on how to be a proper gentleman. Her Scottish drawl was especially annoying when she was being bossy, which, sadly, was often. "Straighter!"

He complied and straightened his body, shrugging to show her he didn't really care. "I don't see what the point of this is."

"Don't ever shrug! It's so informal! And remember, ask about her, alright? Don't do too much of the talking, and don't you dare mention her mother unless she brings it up first!"

He raised an eyebrow and mumbled sarcastically, "Yes ma'am."

"Don't mumble either! And no sarcasm unless it's a funny joke," Amy eyed him carefully, "so in your case never use sarcasm."

Donna and Jack came bounding over to them, filled with excitement. Jack went over to the other end of the table, sitting down in the head chair. "Okay, Doc, pretend I'm Rose!"

"I am so not doing this," the Doctor groaned, pushing his chair away from the table to stand up.

Jack used a high pitched voice and flipped his hand forward, badly attempting to imitate Rose. "Oh, Doctor, this dinner is delicious."

Amy pushed in the Doctor's chair again and gave him a glare. His gaze shifted to Jack and he sighed, turning to Donna, "Do I have to do this?"

Donna nodded and the Doctor eventually spoke to Jack. "Er... Yes it is... Rose..." He said her name cautiously and glanced at Amy for approval.

"Why would you send my mother away and lock me in a dungeon, Doc?"

The Doctor rolled his eyes, "Rose wouldn't call me Doc. This will never work!"

"Okay, sorry, _DocTOR,_ why would you send my mother away and lock me in your castle with the handsome man named Jack Harkness?"

"Shut up, Jack," he replied with another eye roll.

A loud coughing made the four turn to the door where Rose was standing, hands on her hips in the pink dress and looking very confused. "How long have you been standing there?" Jack asked abruptly, breaking the silence.

"A few minutes... Anyways, I lied, I really am hungry. May I have dinner, please?"

Amy was the next to break out of the shocked state. "Er, I'll just go to the kitchen and get it."

"Me too," Donna added quickly, following Amy.

"Me three," Jack said, exiting.

An uncomfortable silence fell over the dining room and Rose and the Doctor stared at each other blankly. "What happened to you?" Rose said so quietly he almost didn't hear.

"What do you mean?" he replied casually, as if he was talking to a friend instead of a beautiful prisoner whose mother he had sent out into the cold to return home and never see her daughter again.

"Your eyes."

"What about them?"

He met her eyes, staring into the deep brown and, very randomly, wondering whether or not she knew she was beautiful. "They're old," she said. "Older than the rest of you looks. And they're really, really mean."

He tried not to take this as an insult and opened his mouth to talk when Sarah Jane and Jack entered the room, holding plates in either hand and they had napkins resting on their forearms fancily.

"For you, mademoiselle," Jack said in his best French accent.

A plate with a mound of spaghetti on it was placed on the table in front of Rose, and one was placed in front of the Doctor. Two other plates were put on the middle of the table and only contained candles. "Thank you very much," she smiled at Jack as he handed her the plate full of food.

The Doctor tried to follow Rose's example, but instead he just ended up mumbling a "Thanks" to Sarah Jane.

The two servants left, leaving them once again in an awkward silence that could have been broken by a pin dropping. Rose twirled her spaghetti around her fork and ate it, humming in delight. "This is delicious!"

"Astrid, the chef, is fantastic," he said with a polite smile, picking up one of his forks and beginning to eat the spaghetti.

Rose nodded and continued eating. "Uh, you're using the wrong fork."

The Doctor stared at her in confusion and looked down at the fork in his hand, "What?"

"Um… Well, the dinner fork is the largest one. Beside it are the salad and dessert forks, but you're holding the dessert one right now," she gestured towards the silverware in front of it and the fork she was holding.

"Oh…" He still looked somewhat confused, so she stood up, walking over to him, and took the fork from his hands. She placed the dessert fork back in its proper spot to the right of the dinner fork, then picked up the dinner fork and handed it to him.

She awkwardly walked back to her own seat and sat down, continuing to eat. He kept staring at the fork in his hand as if it wasn't there before he followed her lead, eating as well. The Doctor stole a glance at her every once and a while, but she seemed not to notice. He knew he should make conversation, that was one of the things Amy had told him, but what was there to say?

Too scared to say anything, the Doctor and Rose finished their dinner in silence.

Needless to say, he used the right fork for dessert.


	6. Six Geese A Laying

"So, huge castle, so many rooms, can I explore?" Rose said hopefully to Jack after dinner, bouncing on the balls of her feet and looking around.

"I'll give you the grand tour, if you'd like," the Doctor offered before Jack could reply.

Jack nodded with a smile and walked away, and Rose contemplated his offer for a moment. "That'd be great."

They didn't do much conversing besides him telling her the history of certain things and where they had been imported. They came across several statues of men and women Rose hadn't seen before, but when she asked about them, he didn't speak. The paintings in the dining room and several other rooms of a world with orange grass and silver leaves also remained unexplained, making her more and more curious every second. And Rose Tyler had learned more than anyone that being curious in life could get you in trouble. As he was explaining a vase that was outside the foyer, she looked towards the right and stared at the fleet of stairs that led to the West Wing, just barely visible through the doorway.

"This statue is of a famous Punic Carthaginian military commander named Hannibal. He was mostly known for the battles of Trebia, Cannae, and…"

Rose cut him off, still staring at the stairs. "And the battle of Lake Trasimene, right?"

"You know about him?" the Doctor looked genuinely curious, folding his arms across his chest, frowning when he turned to see she was staring at the stairs. "That's the West Wing, it's forbidden."

"What's up there?"

He glared at her with his most intimidating expression, making her frown. "Right, forbidden," she mumbled, looking back at the statue. "I read about Hannibal in a book. He provoked Flambinius into battle on the shores of the lake and killed him."

His eyes widened a little, and Rose was pleased with herself to know he was extremely impressed, though she also knew he would never say anything about it. "I suppose you paid attention in school," he said simply, turning away and walking away from the stairs, beckoning for her to follow.

After the tour, when the entire castle was sleeping soundly in their beds, Rose Tyler got up. If there was one thing she hated, it was forbidden things. As soon as she saw what was in the West Wing, she would leave. All she wanted to know was what he had to hide, then she would never go back there and the Doctor would never even have to know.

* * *

"I don't usually leave the Stormcage Containment Facility for just anything," the woman said, looking up from the table in the bar so the two men across from her could just barely see her eyes through her blonde curls and under her hat. "But you said you would make it interesting, sweetie."

"River Song, it's an honor to meet you, truly, it is," Mickey said, shaking her hand and smiling.

River was wearing her usual gray jacket, perfect for any situation whether it be a date or an apocalypse. Attached to her side she had a few guns, just the regular group, and on her belt was a knife hidden in a sleek black sheath, only for the most desperate of situations. A mint was in her mouth, as usual, and her hair bounced whenever she moved. A tiny bruise was on her right forearm, though that was impressive for a woman who had just escaped from prison.

Although, anyone who knew anything in Powell knew that River Song wasn't an ordinary woman.

She was committed to the prison for the crime of someone she couldn't even remember killing, and had been there for several years now. Although, to call Stormcage a Containment Facility was technically incorrect, seeing as she escaped whenever she felt like it to continue her job.

River was the woman you went to when you had a problem, a serious problem that you couldn't solve on your own. People didn't go to her for lost puppies or stolen mail, no, they went to her for the real stuff. She could do anything from making an injury or illness look like an accident to making someone disappear forever. Nobody really knew how she did some of the stuff that she did, though nobody questioned it much.

So as she took of her brown leather cap and threw it on the table, the Master couldn't really say he wasn't intimidated.

Throwing down a tiny bag filled with coins, jewels, and other goodies, he grinned mischievously at her. "So, it's like this," he began, folding his hands together and resting them on the table, "Rose Tyler, do you know of her?"

River scoffed, "I know everyone. Yes, I know Rose. Little blonde girl, innocent as can be, book-lover."

"I proposed to her, and she said no."

"Turned him down flat," Mickey added with a smile, making the Master shove him out of the chair and scowl.

"Shut up, Rickey."

"So what do you want me to do about it?" River waved Rory over and took a beer from him, sipping it a little before setting it on the wooden table next to her hat.

"Her mother is Jackie Tyler, you know her, blonde woman, a bit short, inventor, wears a lot of pink, calls everyone 'plum', and…"

"Yes, yes I know her," River said, urging him to talk faster, "I'm on a schedule. Stormcage will know I'm missing in about… Oh, I'd say two hours. Besides, Jackie Tyler is harmless."

"She may be harmless, but Rose loves her mother, very, very much, even for the lunatic that she is. She'd do anything to keep her from being locked up in a dungeon, wouldn't she?"

River nodded, now understanding the point the Master had been getting to. "You want me to lock up Jackie so Rose will agree to marry you? A bit desperate, isn't it?" She sipped her drink again and smiled a little bit.

Rory came over with a small bill for River, handing it to her nervously. She took one glance at him and waved him away, and he nodded quickly and scurried back behind the bar. "How did you do that?" The Master asked.

She looked at him and blinked. "Disgracefully."

"So will you do it?"

"Well…" River sighed over-dramatically, putting her hat on and pushing the quickly emptied beer glass away. "I may take a little more convincing. After all, it's a big job. I can't just walk up to Jackie and demand she get into jail."

The Master knew she was lying about the fact that it was a big job, but he handed her another sack of money anyways. "There, now do it."

* * *

Back at Rose's cottage, Jackie was packing her bags quickly. "Stupid Canton…" She murmured, picking up a flashlight and sticking it into the bag. "Stupid, stupid Master… If they won't help Rose, I will!"

Jackie exited the house and hopped onto Arthur's back, yelling a "Hyaah!" and taking off quickly, rushing towards the castle.

The Master, Mickey, and River arrived only minutes afterwards, knocking loudly on the door of the house, expecting Jackie or Rose to answer. "Hello? Jackie?" the Master yelled loudly at the house, knocking again.

When nobody answered, River gestured for the two men to back up and she kicked the door down in one swift blow. "Check inside," she said, sitting on a bench outside the house and nodding inside.

Mickey regarded her for a moment, staring with his mouth open a little bit. "What did you do before you were put in Stormcage?"

"Archaeologist," she said, rotating her shoulders and stretching before winking at him. "Love a tomb."

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry this chapter is a bit shorter! Halfway to the finish now! :D


	7. Seven Swans A Swimming

Rose carefully stepped up the stairs to the West Wing, constantly looking over her shoulder to make sure nobody was following her. She half expected Jack or Donna to just jump out from behind something or under a counter, and Hannibal's eyes watching her as she walked definitely wasn't helping with her confidence. A stair creaked under her right foot and she gasped a little, standing still for about three minutes before continuing.

_Perhaps sneaking around in a castle belonging to a mad man in a leather jacket who is your jailer isn't the best idea,_ she thought to herself as the tiptoed up. _Well, too late to turn back now, I suppose. _

It took a few long, drawn-out minutes with plenty of stops whenever the stairs creaked to reach the top. There was still no movement around her, and she thanked whatever gods may be for that. The West Wing was significantly smaller than any other sections of the castle, and was much less decorated or well kept than the rest as well. There were only about six doors in the long hallway, and one at the very end that was much larger than the others.

Since all the other doors were open she could peer inside without making a noise, and wasn't too surprised to see they were all empty save a chair or two. When she reached the end of the hallway she inspected the door thoroughly, disappointed to see the only way to open it would be to turn the doorknob and chance making a much too loud sound.

Could she really risk it?

If there was one thing she was sure of, it was the fact that at this point in her tiny adventure, she was definitely not going to turn back around and go back to her room. The overwhelming curiosity of what may lie behind the door overpowered her, and before she knew what she was doing she was inside, quickly shutting the door behind her.

The room was dark, like the rest of the castle at night, and the only reason she could see was three large windows allowing beams of moonlight in. Dust and cobwebs were scattered about, and she resisted the urge to squeal when she saw a spider run by her feet. The room was large and oddly shaped, a rectangle with a few extensions on every wall. Near where the windows were was the largest extension, on the wall away from the door. There were a few chairs underneath each window, and in one of them was a figure with its head buried in its large hands.

Near the windows was a large glass vase, held up by a short gold column, with a beautiful rose in it, lit up by the moonlight. The rose had very few petals left on it, and as Rose stared at it another fell off so only three remained. She took a step closer riskily, keeping close to the shadows so whoever the figure was wouldn't see her. As she got closer and closer she was able to assume it was the Doctor crying, his noises just barely audible.

With a sniffle he looked up in her direction, tears covering his cheeks and eyes red and puffy, not as intimidating or frightening as they usually were. Rose panicked, afraid that he could see her, and stepped closer to a pole that she hoped she could hide behind. Unfortunately, the wooden board that her foot hit creaked loudly, making the Doctor stand up and wipe his own tears away with his leather jacket sleeve, searching around the room for the source of the noise.

"Who's there?" He demanded with a growl, eyes regaining the iciness they usually had. "Come out, NOW!"

Rose sighed and stepped out from behind the column to face him, prepared to explain what she was doing there. However, before she had a chance to get out one word she was pinned against the wall with him holding her shirt, foaming at the teeth like an animal.

"ROSE! I TOLD YOU NOT TO COME HERE!" the Doctor screamed in her face, raising his hand as if to hit her.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled, trying to squirm away from him. "Don't hurt me, please don't hurt me!"

"I told you," he repeated slowly, staring daggers at her, "NOT TO COME HERE! Why are you here?! GET OUT!"

Suddenly, lights flickered on and Jack and Donna entered the room in their nightclothes, staring at the two of them. "Doctor, what are you doing?!" Jack yelled, running over to them and grabbing the Doctor's arm, pulling it down and releasing Rose. "Were you about to hit her?! Let her go!"

The Doctor complied, not moving his eyes from Rose's even as Jack scolded him to no end and Donna slapped him on the arm. "I'm so sorry," Donna said to Rose, giving her a hug and allowing her to cry on her shoulder. "Did he hurt you?"

Rose shook her head quickly, "He was about to."

"I told you, clearly, you're not allowed in the West Wing!" he growled, trying to reach for her again but being held back by Donna. "I told you not to wander off, Rose Tyler!"

She stared at him through her tears, "I just wanted to see… I didn't mean to intrude, I swear!"

"I WILL KILL YOU!" He screamed, voice cracking a little on the third word as tears came to his own eyes again.

Rose didn't like to go back on her word, but at this point it was a necessity.

Rose broke away from Donna's grip and sprinted out the door, down the stairs, and outside the castle itself. She opened the gate without hesitation, running out into the woods without packing any of her possessions or food. "How could he?... God, I didn't mean to," she cried to herself, circling around in the snow and looking for the direction she had come from.

She rubbed her arms desperately for warmth and swiped away her tears with her sleeve. The trees loomed over her threateningly and casted shadows all across the forest, making her feel alone. Then a low growling came out from the distance and she wanted to shrink down to the size of a mouth. It couldn't possibly be wolves…

Suddenly, six wolves surrounded her on all sides and she yelped, falling down onto the snow and circling around, looking for any route of escape. They closed in on her slowly as she covered her head in her hands, completely defenseless aside from her own fists and feet. She kicked at one of them when it came too close and it snarled at her.

The Doctor ran in, jumping in between the unsuspecting wolves and grabbing Rose's hand. Before Rose could ponder on how the Doctor had gotten there, whether or not he had followed her, he was pulling her away. "Run," he said simply, tugging her past the wolves that were now chasing them. He threw Rose forward, making her face-plant in the snow as he turned back to face the animals. A wolf bit him on his arm and another on his leg and he roared in frustration, pulling out a gun in a holster on his belt and shooting it at a wolf's leg as a warning. The wolf who was shot whimpered loudly and began to limp away as quickly as it could, and the other wolves were instantly discouraged, backing away slowly before sprinting in the other direction.

"They bit you hard!" Rose exclaimed, rushing over to him as he collapsed on the ground, breathing heavily.

"Bleeding…" he mumbled, staring up at her. "Bleeding…"

She examined the wounds and found that he was right; he was indeed bleeding quite a bit. His torn arm looked to be much worse than the leg wound. Snow turned red as Rose tried to carry him, though she ended up just dragging his body on the ground with him shuffling his uninjured leg and arm to help her move him. When she got him inside the gate the Doctor finally lost consciousness and Donna and Jack rushed out to help her carry him.

* * *

**A/N:** I'd really, really like to apologize for the hiatus for this story! Apparently my beta had forgotten to send me this chapter which she had already read over. She's been very busy lately and hasn't had time to beta much more. However, I hope you enjoy this chapter and please leave a review if you like it!


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